“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
With those words, Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix will confer the sacrament of Confirmation on hundreds of the faithful in the coming weeks.
He’s already done so at St. Louis the King in Glendale, St. Jerome in Phoenix, St. Elizabeth Seton in Sun City, and has several more parishes to visit during what’s commonly referred to as Confirmation season.
“I always try to stress that the Spirit is not just sustaining us as Christians but animating us to be the vibrant Christians that we are meant to be,” Bishop Dolan said.
With 94 parishes and more than 2 million Catholics spread over nearly 44,000 square miles in the Diocese of Phoenix, Bishop Dolan has also granted faculties to several priests to confer the sacrament of Confirmation.
Msgr. Peter Bui, Vicar for Clergy, is one of them. He’s set to confirm Catholics at six parishes in the upcoming weeks.
“You need the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life,” Msgr. Bui said. “His role is to strengthen you.”
That includes when the faithful face suffering — something that is bound to occur in every person’s journey.
“Strength is very important because we face so many sufferings, trials, difficulties and challenges and the Holy Spirit plays a very particular role in being a Comforter. That’s why He’s called the Consoler.”
Msgr. Bui pointed to the Martyrs of Compiegne, a group of 16 Carmelite nuns who were executed in 1792 during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. As they were led to the guillotine, they chanted Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit), a thirteenth century hymn sung each year on Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit grants a special strength to those who face martyrdom, Msgr. Bui said, but He also grants His gifts to those who face the more mundane but still difficult moments in life.
“If you don’t have that Comforter — and for sure there will be challenges and suffering in your life — how can you persevere?” Msgr. Bui noted.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Confirmation completes and strengthens baptismal graces. It also roots us more deeply as sons and daughters of God; unites us more firmly to Christ; increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us; renders our bond with the Church more perfect; and gives a special grace to spread and defend the faith (CCC 1303).
Like Baptism, Confirmation is given only once. It is administered by a bishop or a priest whom he delegates.
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation. The other two are Baptism and Eucharist.
